Former "Family Ties" child star Brian Bonsall was sentenced to two years' probation after pleading guilty to a third-degree assault case against his girlfriend. Bonsall poured a drink on the woman while she slept, put her in a choke hold, and threw her down on the bed when she tried to leave. Three other charges were dismissed against him in a plea bargain.

Bonsall has had earlier run-ins with the law. In 2004 he was arrested on suspicion of driving when under the influence and for driving with a suspended license and was convicted of a DUI in 2001.

Bonsall played the role of Andy Keaton, a character that I have absolutely no recollection of. Apparently it was memorable to others, the addition of Andy got the most votes for when the show jumped the shark. He later played Alexander Rozhenko in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

With so very few child actors entering adulthood unscathed, the never-ending stream of new upstarts amazes me. There's no way I'd allow my kids to into that world. But I also wonder, is it Hollywood that messes up the kids or does that sort of life attract a type of parent and/or child that would probably end up messed up no matter where they found themselves?